Re: "Cleaning Up the Burke"

[Phil Bigelow <bigelowp@juno.com>]

On Wed, 03 May 2006 13:42:44 -0600 MICHAEL SCHMIDT
<dmichaelschmidt@shaw.ca> writes:

> Didn't Mr. Larson of the Black Hills Inst. go to prison for less 
> than this?

<coughnoPhD>,  <coughnoaffiliation>.  Excuse me, I have a chest cold.

IIRC, and in fairness, one of the multiple charges layed against Larson
was for entering the U.S and not declaring to U.S. Customs a large sum of
cash he carried on his person.  That's a Federal felony.  That may have
been the charge that sent him to the Big House.   He pleaded down on some
other charges, and some charges were dropped.  I don't think Sue had
anything to do with it (other than getting the Feds interested in his
business in the first place).  The FBI raid on his business was
essentially a fishing expedition.

Keep in mind that the "Burke Problem" is a VERY sensitive issue, not only
involving the reputation of the Burke Museum itself, but the reputation
of the entire professional paleo community.  Rensberger doesn't exactly
have an overwhelming number of colleagues that like him on a personal
level, but don't be surprised if there is a plea for leniency made by
some of his fellow professional paleontologists.  The conviction of a
State-employed university PhD for knowingly violating the Federal
permitting process could hurt the Federal Fossil Protection Act
legislation.  Not that I support the legislation's opposition.  The
opposition is run mostly by commercial collectors, not by amateurs.

A statement posted on the SVP web page http://www.vertpaleo.org/ states
that SVP hopes for a "FAIR trial" [emphasis mine].  Although its a given
that everyone wants a fair trial, the fact that SVP specifically
qualified that point may be evidence that the Society is leaving itself
an "out" for later on, if they feel that a founding member of their
organization has been treated too brutally by the legal process.


<pb>
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